Nuclear DNA analysis: the relevance of ploidy, DNA heterogeneity and phases of the cell cycle in 329 patients with prostatic carcinoma. A study on a follow-up of eight years.
The ploidy, DNA heterogeneity and the phases of the cell cycle of the tumor were analyzed, by means of single-cell DNA cytophotometry, in 329 patients with locally advanced prostatic carcinoma to find out and establish prognostic factors apart from those already known (stage, grade). Follow-up periods ranged from 1 to 9 years. 253 (76.8%) of the 329 patients had carcinoma stage T3 Nx M0, and 76 of them (23.1%) had carcinoma stage T3/T4 N2-4 M1. 11.8% of the patients showed a cytological grade of malignancy I, while 64.3% had grade II carcinoma and 23.8% had grade III carcinoma. Single-cell DNA cytophotometry demonstrated aneuploidy rates of up to 71% and diploidy rates of up to 23.8% for the higher grades of malignancy, i.e. grades II and III, whereas the diploidy rate established for grade I was 68% and the respective aneuploidy rate was 21%. These differences are significant (p less than 0.001). There was a significant correlation between the results of DNA cytophotometry and the clinical course of the disease. Only 3 (3.7%) of the patients with diploid tumor cell nuclei developed metastases and local tumor progression within 8 years, whereas patients with aneuploid tumor cell nuclei showed metastases and local tumor progression within 8-22 months. These patients died of carcinoma after an average 18 months following primary diagnosis.
al-Abadi
H
H
Department of Urology, Charlottenburg Medical Center, Free University of Berlin.
Nagel
R
R
D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D002453:Cell Cycle; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000737:chemistry; D003592:Cytophotometry; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011003:Ploidies; D011379:Prognosis; D011467:Prostate / Q000473:pathology; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm